How did you decide to start a business?

We reached out to some of our favorite entrepreneurs and asked them to think back and tell us about how they decided to start a business. Check out their responses below.

Bridget Lennon | Photographer & Videographer

Boredom. I was stranded in State College, PA at the start of the pandemic. Just me, my roommate, and my camera. I had no car, no income and no where to go (ya know cause the world was shut down) so I had to make do. Read more>>

Raymond Gibby | Fine Art Bronze Sculptor

I never wanted to start a business. I just saw that the opportunity to do what I enjoy doing (making fine art) wasn’t going to be available by working for someone else. Read more>>

Stephanie Bowen | Dust to Diamonds House Cleaning LLC Owner

I started my own business around 2014. At the time, I was 26 and needed a career/job that was flexible and would allow me to be available to my then only two children, as I was a recently divorced, single mom. Read more>>

Leah Nelson | Owner of Mom N’ Pop Marketing

I think everyone starts a business based on money, freedom, and time. Most entrepreneurs, like myself, always have an inch no matter what their current work position, income, or how much time they have and their current job or precision. Read more>>

Lorna Bulwan | Lavender Farmer

The land I’m farming has been in my family over 50 years. I feel a strong connection to it and believe that with the land comes a responsibility to care for it and make it productive. I decided to use a portion of the land to plant lavender because I’ve always enjoyed this plant and how it helps people. Read more>>

Katerina Morris | Homeopathic Entrepreneur

At first, I wasn’t planning on turning Loving You Teeth Cleanser into a business. The evolution of that began when I was in a search of the best toothpaste for my kids. I was honestly in shock finding out how many toxins are in commercial toothpastes. Read more>>

Susan M. S. Lindgren | Certified NeurOptimal® Trainer & Founder of Brain Training Lounge

I found myself at one of life’s transition points in early 2019. After caring full-time for my children since they were born and spending years volunteering at their schools, I was starting to contemplate what was next for me as my teenagers started to fly from our nest in the coming years. Read more>>

Frank Novotny | Landscape Photographer

I never really had a thought process going into my photography as I treat it as an everyday hobby for the most part. It started back when I got my first camera when I was 21 years old. Read more>>

Stephanie Corridori | Ceramic maker and Instructor

Honestly it was just such a slow, organic process that I can’t say there was a single point at which I “started” my business. I’ve always created and always been able to make a nice side income doing so. Read more>>

Amelia Van Dyke | Cookie Artist & A little bit of everything else that comes with being a Mom, Wife, Athlete, Professional and Friend.

Creating edible works of art has long been a creative outlet for me. Starting my own business was an opportunity to take my talent from a hobby to a marketable product available for others to enjoy. Read more>>

Kristen Rosenbaum | Founder

The thought process behind creating K2 Event Co. started brewing during the beginning of Covid. Our founder, Kristen Rosenbaum, was working on a weddings, events and corporate team yet could not seem to shake the idea of setting out to create something specifically geared towards the client perspective being at the forefront. Read more>>

Mackenzie Bremges Gilman | Photographer

Starting my business was a very easy decision for me. I came out of college with degree in film and a camera that I bought at 2am on Black Friday. I started taking photos and fell in love. Read more>>

Jessica Craig | Denver & NoCo Photographer

I had always had an interest and passion for photography, but had never picked up a professional camera or had any training. Once my twins were born, I was struggling a bit with my new identity as a mom. Read more>>

Jennifer (they/them) Stucka-Benally (LCSW) | Acting Visionary for Community Transformation and Founder

I moved to Durango in July 2013. I began working as a behavioral health provider inside the school based health clinic in Durango High School. Over that first year I discovered that 2SLGBTQIA+ youth did not feel safe in their schools, community, or own home. Read more>>

Nadia Ali | Founder and CEO

Having the opportunity to build healthy organizational cultures while creating more flexibility and balance in my life inspired me to start my own business. My business, Idea Labs, was born out of inspiration and passion to create kinder and healthier communities. Read more>>

Max Clark | Studio Owner, Musician, and Audio Engineer

My thought process toward starting Maxed Out Studios was a culmination of a few different things. For one, I’ve played music my entire life, and by the time I was leaving for college, I was confident I wanted to pursue a career in music. Read more>>

Amy Christman | Founder of The Fierce Collective and 1:1 business coach for fitness, wellness, and health professionals.

I worked in the fitness industry for a decade and never really knew who to turn to for advice or ask if I’m making the right decisions in my career. Read more>>

Rebecca Rhodes | Watercolor Artist and Teacher

I teach watercolor painting online. But my career began much differently. I became a full-time artist and teacher later in life. I’ve always had the hunger to create – an excitement – an urgency – ideas trying to burst out. Read more>>

Halie Saferstein | Freelance Photographer

I decided to start my own business because my interests are so diverse. Instead of working for a company where I do the same thing every day, I get to work different types of jobs every week. Read more>>

Jessica Vigil | Wedding bouquet/ flower preservation and laser engraving.

When covid hit, I had to sacrifice my Carrer in the medical field and become a stay home mother due to social distancing protocols. My husband at the time was still able to provide which we were very thankful. But as a wife I still wanted to help bring an income in. Read more>>

Soraya Butler | On Camera and Voice Actor & Coach

As an actor in New York City, I had to make a pivot and focus solely on Voice Acting at the start of the pandemic in March of 2020. It was a no brainer. All the television and film projects that I was in the running for, all went away. Read more>>

Si Moné Killingsworth | Entrepreneur

In 2021, I, along with thousands of others, lost one of the most important people in my life due to COVID-19, my maternal grandmother. That year I was forced to grow and understand the world around me in a wider spectrum. Read more>>

Jonathan Parker | I.Love.This.Plant Founder – Organic Grower

My father worked for 32 years for a major beverage company that afforded us a very blessed lifestyle. However, even after all that time he spent working for that company, he never owned it or had any capacity to pass any of that company’s equity to his children or other descendants. Read more>>

Dalma Dibuz | Photographer & Vision/Creative Director for VibeIt

I created VibeIt to offer a safe space for artists to collaborate and express themselves freely. As a therapist and photographer, I heavily value to importance of fostering safe spaces for individuals to feel comfortable and confident in themselves. Read more>>

Brooke & Madison Loza | Zero Waste Store Co-Owners & Students

In the United States alone, the average person produces almost six pounds of trash daily, most of which ends up in burdened, overrun landfills. When we first learned this, our hearts shattered at the devastating environmental impact that our consumption creates. Read more>>